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How to get more Google reviews

To get more Google reviews, ask every customer right after a good experience. Give them a direct link or QR code that opens the review box. Make it a habit, not a campaign. Don't offer discounts or gifts for reviews, don't ask only happy customers, and reply to every review. Google prohibits incentives, and the FTC bans fake and paid-for-sentiment reviews.

Updated · Facts checked

A link that drops customers straight into the review form removes the biggest obstacle, which is having to search for your business first.

  1. On a computer, open your Business Profile and choose the option to get more reviews [1].
  2. Copy the review link, or save the QR code image (QR codes can't be generated on a phone) [1].
  3. Or use our free Google review link generator, which builds the link and a printable QR code from your business name.

Step two: ask at the right moment

Timing matters more than wording; people review when the good feeling is fresh and the request is easy.

  • Service trades: at the end of the job, when the customer says thanks, follow up by text the same day with the link.
  • Restaurants and shops: a QR code on the receipt, the table card or the counter [1].
  • Appointments: in the thank-you or follow-up message, once [1].
  • Online orders: in the delivery confirmation email.

A short, personal line works best: "Thanks for having us out today. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other people in town find us: [link]".

The rules you must not break

Review rules come from two places, Google's policies and US federal law, and both are stricter than many owners realize.

  • No incentives. Google prohibits offering payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for reviews [3].
  • No "review gating". Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews or discouraging negative ones [3], so ask everyone, not just people you expect to be happy.
  • No reviews from staff or family about your own business; Google treats current or former employment as a conflict of interest [3].
  • No fake or bought reviews. The FTC's 2024 rule bans fake reviews, including AI-generated ones, buying reviews, incentives conditioned on positive or negative sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews and intimidation to remove negative reviews [4].

Step three: reply to every review

Replies are read by future customers more than by the reviewer, so write them for the next person deciding whether to call you.

  • Positive reviews: thank them by name and mention the job specifically; skip generic thank-yous and promotions [2].
  • Negative reviews: respond promptly, acknowledge what went wrong, apologize where appropriate and offer to fix it offline [2].
  • Never share a customer's private details or argue in public [2].

Where your website helps

Your website can make the review request easier and show visitors that real people use your business, without breaking any rules.

  • Add a "Review us on Google" link on your thank-you page and contact page.
  • Link to your Google reviews rather than copying them onto the site, and never mark up reviews you collected yourself as star ratings in your site's structured data.
  • Don't show testimonials you can't trace to a real customer. Every site we build hides the reviews section until you have real ones.

Questions about reviews

What owners ask us most about reviews.

Can I offer a discount to customers who leave a review?

No. Google prohibits incentives for reviews, even for honest ones, and the FTC bans incentives tied to positive or negative sentiment.

Can I ask only my happiest customers?

No. Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews. Ask everyone the same way, and treat the occasional negative review as a chance to show how you handle problems.

Can I remove a bad review?

You can flag reviews that break Google's policies, such as spam or conflicts of interest, but you can't remove a genuine negative review. A calm, helpful reply is the best response.

How many reviews do I need?

There's no magic number. Steady, recent reviews that describe real jobs are more useful to customers than a big burst all at once.

Keep reading

Related pages for the same kind of business, plus the guides and free tools that go with this one.

Sources

Every outside fact on this page comes from the sources below, read on the date shown. Prices and plans change; check the source before you decide.

  1. Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to get more reviews" (read October 26, 2026). Ask customers to use a link or QR code; reply professionally and briefly; for negative reviews acknowledge, apologize where appropriate and respond promptly.
  2. Google Business Profile Help, "Prohibited & restricted content" (read October 26, 2026). No payment, discounts or free goods for reviews; no selectively soliciting positive reviews; employment is a conflict of interest.
  3. Federal Trade Commission, "Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials" (August 14, 2024). Bans fake (including AI-generated) reviews, buying reviews, sentiment-conditioned incentives, undisclosed insider reviews and review suppression.

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